Diabetes decisions — 2005

The veteran's appeal has been withdrawn, and the case is dismissed.

The Board found that the veteran's Type I Diabetes Mellitus was not incurred in or aggravated by active service, and denied his claim for service connection.

The veteran's diabetes mellitus is not shown to have been present in service or for many years thereafter, and the Board finds that it was not incurred in service. The claim is denied.

The veteran's initial ratings for diabetes mellitus and PTSD have been granted, with the PTSD receiving a higher initial rating of 30 percent.

The Board has determined that the veteran's hypertension is not service-connected, as it was not caused or aggravated by his service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II. The claim for secondary service connection is denied.

The veteran's claims for higher ratings for diabetes mellitus and residuals of a shell fragment wound to the left eye are being remanded due to procedural deficiencies in VCAA notice, as well as the need for additional VA examinations.

The Board has granted an extension of the veteran's basic 10-year period of eligibility for receiving educational assistance benefits under Chapter 30, Title 38, United States Code (Montgomery GI Bill) beyond the delimiting date of July 1, 2003 due to his diabetes mellitus preventing him from attending school during a critical period.

The veteran's diabetes mellitus was not incurred or aggravated during service and cannot be presumed to have been incurred due to exposure to herbicides. The Board denied the claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the veteran's diabetes mellitus was not incurred or aggravated during active service and is not due to herbicide exposure. As a result, the claim for service connection is denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus as it was not incurred in or aggravated by active military service and there is no evidence of exposure to Agent Orange. The benefit of the doubt doctrine does not apply.

The Board has determined that the veteran's diabetes mellitus requires a 20 percent rating, but his coronary artery disease does not warrant any separate evaluation. The issue of service connection for coronary artery disease is being remanded to obtain clarification from Dr. H regarding whether the veteran currently carries a diagnosis of this condition.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, diabetes mellitus, residuals of amputation of the right lower extremity below the knee joint, and residuals of amputation of the toes of the left foot. The evidence does not support a finding that these conditions are related to his active military service.

The Board denied the veteran's request for an effective date prior to May 8, 2001 for the award of service connection for diabetes mellitus evaluated as 20 percent disabling. The effective date was established as May 8, 2001 due to the retroactive effectuation based on a liberalizing law.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings for diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities, and diabetic nephropathy and hypertension are being remanded to allow for additional development.

The Board has determined that the veteran's diabetes mellitus, type II, with diabetic nephrology and diabetic neuropathy, lower extremities, does not require regulation of activities or episodes of ketoacidosis/hypoglycemia requiring hospitalization. Therefore, a higher rating is denied.

The VA granted service connection for diabetes mellitus and assigned an initial disability rating of 20 percent.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus and residuals of a lobectomy, finding no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have any of the claimed conditions related to his active service and thus denied all claims for service connection.

The Board has dismissed the veteran's appeal of the May 2000 rating decision denying service connection for diabetes mellitus due to his failure to file a timely substantive appeal.

The VA has denied the veteran's claims for higher initial evaluations for peripheral polyneuropathy of both feet, secondary to diabetes mellitus. The disabilities are currently rated as 10 percent disabling from April 12, 2001.